Sibling Rivalry
by BubblyShell22
Summary: Alison DiLaurentis and Courtney DiLaurentis are not your average sisters. One has a fabulous life while the other wishes she could have her sister's life. Now, Courtney has stolen Ali's life, and Ali will stop at nothing to reclaim it.
1. Chapter 1

Sibling Rivalry

Prologue: Outside Looking In

A/N: Hey, I've had this plot bunny in my head for a long time now and have decided that it's a good time to write it. This is my first Pretty Little Liars fic ever. I've been reading the series all the way through, and I've been intrigued with the revelations presented in _Wanted_ about Alison and Courtney DiLaurentis. This fic will explore their relationship and what happened to both of them after Courtney stole Ali's life up until Ali murdered her own sister. I hope that you enjoy this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters associated with Pretty Little Liars. They are all owned by Sara Shepard. I do own the plot of this story though.

Summary: Alison DiLaurentis and Courtney DiLaurentis are not your average sisters. One has a fabulous life while one dreams of having the life her own sister has. Now, Courtney has stolen Ali's life, and Ali will stop at nothing to reclaim it, even if it means murdering her own twin sister.

Have you ever been angry at your sister for something? Like when she borrowed your sweater without permission, spilled beer on it, and had to hurriedly wash it without you knowing about it? Or, how about when your sister secretly videotaped you dancing to Lady Gaga and then posted it on Facebook for everyone to see? Have you ever wished you had your sister's life and longed to have the friends that she had?

Well, that happened in Rosewood to two twin sisters, but it didn't end the way one of them wanted it to.

22222

Alison DiLaurentis laughed as she entertained her best friends, Naomi Zeigler and Riley Wolfe. All three girls had decided to spend some time together at Ali's house after school. They were sitting on the deck, drinking iced tea and gossiping. Ali was one of the most popular girls in school, and everyone envied her for it. Girls looked at her as though they wished they could be her for one day while boys looked at her as though they wished they could go out with her. But Ali ignored all of them. She hated the girls who stared at her, feeling that they were just losers. If they got rid of some of their bad habits, maybe they could be like her. She didn't mind the attention from the boys, but she wanted to play hard to get with them. She didn't want them thinking they could have her at every beck and call.

A movement near the door caught Ali's eye. Her twin sister, Courtney, was looking out at Ali and her friends. Ali had an urge to yell at her for spying on them, but she couldn't do that. Courtney had to be kept a secret in the family, and Ali could just imagine what her friends would say if they found out she had a lunatic for a sister. She'd be dethroned so fast, it wouldn't even be funny. She'd be stuck with someone like Mona Vanderwaal or Aria Montgomery as her friend, and she couldn't have that. Still, she hated when Courtney spied on her like that. It was as though she wanted to hang out with them and have fun. As if. That definitely wasn't going to happen.

"Ali, what are you looking at?" Riley asked her friend.

Ali turned her head to look at her. "Oh, nothing," she said. "I was just spacing out for a minute. What were you saying?"

"I was saying that I can't wait to have you be on my party court for my birthday," Riley replied. "It's going to be so awesome."

"Yeah, it will be," Ali agreed. "You always have the best parties."

As they continued to gossip about Riley's upcoming party, Ali couldn't help but look where Courtney had been, but she was gone. Good. Now, maybe that little idiot could stop spying on her and have her own life. Ali was determined that her sister wasn't going to ruin her life and make it miserable. At least she'd be back at the hospital in a few days. Then life could go on as normal as though Courtney didn't exist. Ali quickly focused her attention back on Riley and didn't even think about her sister again. It just wasn't worth it.

22222

Courtney DiLaurentis sighed as she watched her twin sister and her friends gossiping on the deck. It wasn't fair that Ali had everything and that Courtney had to go to a mental hospital. She knew she was sick, but she really didn't understand what her problem really was. She wasn't suicidal, and she didn't cut herself. So, what was the problem? Was it because she sometimes pretended she was someone else? What was wrong with that? Lots of people did that. But maybe it was because Courtney would deliberately do it. Sometimes she'd pretend to be Ali or another girl she knew about. When her parents had caught her at it, they assumed that something was wrong with her and had sent her away to get help. It wasn't fair that she had to deal with people like Iris while Ali got to hang out with girls so much better than that. For once, Courtney just wished she could have her sister's life and do what normal girls did.

"Courtney, stop looking at them," a voice said. Courtney turned to see her brother, Jason DiLaurentis, standing behind her. "You know that pisses Ali off."

"I'm just looking at them," Courtney told him. "I wish I had that life, too. Ali and I are supposed to be twins who share everything."

"Well, that's not our family, Court," Jason said. "Go back to your room before Ali sees you." He turned and walked to the kitchen, rummaging in the refrigerator for something to eat.

Courtney continued to watch her sister and her friends. She hated that she was always on the outside looking in and never having what others did. Ali flaunted her popularity and snubbed so many people because of it. Courtney often heard her belittling different girls in her grade and talking about them as though they had diseases or something. Was that what Ali thought about her own sister? Was she ashamed of Courtney? If she was, well, that was just horrible. She really wished Ali could just spend a day in her shoes and see what it was like being at a mental hospital. She really wished that she and Ali could switch places like in that Disney movie, The Parent Trap. But instead of reuniting their parents, they would be learning about each other and what it was like to live each other's lives.

Courtney watched for a bit more before heading up to her room. Face it, you can't have her life, a voice in her head said. You'll never be Ali, so you might as well just deal with it. Courtney knew the voice was right, but she just couldn't accept it. She needed her sister's life, and she was going to try and live it no matter what.

And one day, that's just what she did. Courtney assumed Ali's identity and became even more popular than her sister did while Ali was sent to The Preserve-at-Addison Stevens mental facility. For four years, Courtney would live her sister's life and gain some new friends along the way. But little did she know that Ali would return and that she'd enact her revenge on her own sister, and the consequences would be deadly.

A/N: So, what did you think? Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I'll do my best to update soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: I'm Ali, I'm Courtney

A/N: So, here's the next chapter just as I promised. Here, you'll learn more about the switch and how each girl handled it and how Courtney met the girls who would become her best friends. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed so far. I'm really glad you like this story so far. I'm going to do my best to update as much as I can, but I do have other stories I'm working on, too, so this one might take a backseat if I get writer's block.

Disclaimer: See prologue

"I'm so glad you're leaving!" Alison sneered at her sister Courtney. Her sister was home while she was switching hospitals from the Radley to a new one called The Preserve at Addison-Stevens. "I'm sick of you trying to steal my life!"

"Stop acting like such a drama queen!" Courtney retorted. "It's all in fun anyway. I'm not hurting anyone."

Ali laughed derisively. "Of course not," she sneered. "Courtney DiLaurentis can do no wrong, can she? You're such a bitch, Courtney. You tried to steal my Time Capsule flag piece, but I've hidden it so you can't get to it. Just go away, bitch!"

"Fine!" Courtney spat back. Then she turned and left to go outside. Just as she was leaving, Ali noticed that Courtney had on her A ring that her parents had given her. But before she could say anything, Mrs. DiLaurentis appeared and took her arm.

"Let's go, Courtney," she said.

"Mom, I'm Ali," Ali protested. "Courtney's outside."

Mrs. DiLaurentis scowled. "Courtney, we've warned you about impersonating Ali," she chastised. "Let's go."

"But, Mom, I really am Ali!" Ali insisted. "You have to believe me!"

Mrs. DiLaurentis didn't' answer and simply dragged Ali toward the front door. Ali knew it was hopeless and didn't try to protest any further. Her mother called, "We're leaving!" to Courtney, and Courtney turned her head and called back, "'Bye!" Then Ali saw four girls she knew from Rosewood Day standing in front of her sister. Ali hated them and couldn't believe that Courtney was talking to them. How dare she try to take away Ali's life? Before she left the house, she shot her sister a look that said, "Just you wait, bitch. You'll pay for stealing my life."

22222

After the argument with her sister, Courtney stepped outside and spotted four girls hiding in the backyard. They were probably trying to steal Ai's Time Capsule flag piece. She smiled as she saw them hiding in a different spot. Now was the perfect time to begin her charade as Ali.

"You guys can come out now," she said.

The four girls looked surprised that they had been spotted. They came out of their hiding places and toward Courtney. She noticed that the one with reddish blonde hair looked a bit guilty, proof that the girls had come here to steal Ali's flag piece.

"Hey, girls, fancy seeing all of you here," Courtney teased. "You wouldn't happen to be looking for a certain Time Capsule flag piece, would you?"

"Of course not!" a girl with black and pink hair protested.

The girl with reddish blonde hair looked at her guiltily. "Aria, we were going to steal her flag piece," she admitted.

A girl with dirty blonde hair glared at her. "Emily!" she chastised.

"Way to blow our cover," a heavyset brunette muttered.

Courtney smirked. "Hey, it's okay, guys," she said. "You actually have guts. Not many others would even dream of stealing my flag piece. Nice work."

"So, can we have it?" the one called Aria asked.

"Sorry, somebody beat you to it," Courtney replied. "They stole it out of my gym locker." Then she focused on the girls as if she were trying to memorize who they were. She pointed to the girl with dirty blonde hair. "You're Spencer, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," Spencer replied.

"And you're Emily?" she asked as she pointed to her.

Emily nodded. "Yeah," she said.

"And you're Aria?" Courtney pointed to the pink and black haired girl.

"Yep, that's me," Aria responded.

Courtney then focused on the heavyset brunette girl, who blushed. "And you're Hanna?" she asked.

Hanna nodded. She looked shell-shocked, and Courtney suddenly understood why. Ali had never even noticed these girls before. She could see that they all had looks of amazement on their faces as though they were surprised that someone like Ali would even speak to them. She could see the longing on their faces as well. It was the same look Courtney had when she looked at Ali and her friends. They were hoping to be accepted by someone who was cool and popular. Courtney knew how the girls felt, and she figured that maybe, in time, she could give them what they really wanted.

"Well, it was nice meeting you," said Courtney. "I'm Alison."

"Yeah, we know," Spencer replied. "Well, I'd better get back home before I miss dinner." She waved to Courtney and went to her house next door.

"I have to go, too," Aria added. Hanna and Emily both nodded in agreement.

"Okay," said Courtney. "See you guys later." The girls waved and headed their separate ways. Then she smiled in satisfaction. She'd done it! No one would suspect that she wasn't really Ali. She knew that if she wanted to befriend the four girls, she'd have to do it slowly and carefully.

"Who were you talking to?" Jason asked as he suddenly appeared behind her.

She spun around, startled. "Jesus, Jason, you scared me!" she chastised. "They're just some girls trying to steal my flag piece. I told them someone else stole it, and they fell for it. They have no idea where it is, and I hope they'll look somewhere else with that clue."

"Good thinking," said Jason. "Well, I've got to do some homework, Let me know when Mom and Dad come home, okay?"

"Sure thing," replied Courtney. Then she went to her sister's room and sat on her bed. She was so happy to be in a normal room instead of in a mental hospital. She smiled gleefully as she thought about how Ali must feel being in a mental hospital bed. She was probably pissed at what Courtney had done to her. Oh, well, it didn't matter anymore. Ali was getting just what she deserved, and Courtney was glad of that. She picked up the new diary her parents had given her (her counselors at the Radley had encouraged her to write down her thoughts every day to help her feel better) and wrote about how she met four potential new friends.

22222

As the car headed to the new mental hospital somewhere in Delaware, Alison was super pissed off. She couldn't believe her sister had stolen her life right from under her nose. She scowled as she thought about how Courtney was living her life and hanging out with her friends. As soon as she could, she was going to leave this place and teach her a lesson about stealing what wasn't hers.

"We're here!" Mr. DiLaurentis announced as though they were taking her to Disney World and not a nut house. The place was called The Preserve at Addison-Stevens and was made to look more like a mansion than a mental hospital. Mr. DiLaurentis announced himself at the gate and waited until the gates opened before driving through. Ali wanted to jump out of the car and run away, but she knew they'd probably catch her and bring her back.

After they checked Ali in, a nurse came to escort her to her room. She seemed really perky, and Ali couldn't help but wonder if she was on something to make her that way. Ali knew that if she worked here, she'd be miserable as hell.

"Hi, I'm Denise," the nurse said. "I'm here to show you to your room."

Mr. and Mrs. DiLaurentis hugged Ali and promised to visit her soon. Ali hugged them back even though she didn't want to. Then she followed Denise to the room that would be hers as long as she stayed here. Denise explained the rules of the facility as well as the schedule. Apart from the therapy sessions and meals, Ali could pretty much do whatever she wanted. Denise also reminded her that she got her own room key and that the only other people who had access to her room were her roommate and security.

Then Denise opened her rom and gestured for her to go inside. "Your roommate is here, so you can get acquainted," she said. She pointed to one of the girls who was sitting on one of the beds. She had blonde hair and green eyes that lit up when she saw Ali.

"Iris, this is Courtney DiLaurentis," Denise said.

"Hi," Iris said. "Welcome to the Preserve."

"Thanks," Ali replied dryly. "I'm just thrilled to be here."

Iris laughed, which caused Ali to smile.

"Well, I'll let you two get acquainted," said Denise. She turned with a wave and exited the room, closing the door behind her.

"Is she always that perky?" Ali asked Iris.

Iris nodded. "Yeah, most of the people who work here are," she replied. "I think it's a way for them to make sure they don't go nuts working here."

Ali crossed over to the other bed and sat down. "So, what do you guys do for fun here?" she asked.

"Not much," answered Iris. "Most of the time, we're cooped up in our rooms except for when we go to meals and therapy. Sometimes we're allowed a bit of free time, but it's not very often. Usually it's when we're good. It's like our reward. There's no TV or Internet access whenever we want. They don't allow live TV, and we have to be monitored when we use the Internet."

Ali gaped. No TV? No Internet? How the hell was she going to coerce her parents to get her out of here? "That sucks," she said. "This really is hell."

Iris giggled. "Tell me about it," she said. "But now that you're here, maybe things will be better. Most of the patients here are real losers. You and I are one in a million."

Ali smiled at Iris. Even though she knew Iris had some sort of problem that had caused her to be sent here, Ali felt that she wasn't that bad at all. Maybe, in time, Ali could confide in Iris about her own family life and about how she hated her twin sister. She wouldn't tell Iris what had happened and that she was really Ali, but she could still tell Iris about how evil her sister was. She figured that if she had to stay here, she might as well go along with the charade as best as she could.

When it was time for dinner, Ali and Iris made their way to the cafeteria. Iris told Ali all about how life at the Preserve worked and how she'd managed to keep from going insane all this time. After they got their trays of food they looked for a place to sit. Ali spotted three girls sitting a table and laughing at something. One of them had braces and dull brown hair. She reminded Ali of Hanna Marin from Rosewood Day. One of the other girls was pudgy with red hair, and the other was pale-skinned.

"Who are they?" Ali asked Iris.

Iris looked over to where Ali had spotted the girls. "That's Tara, Alexis, and Ruby," she replied. "They're so desperate to be cool and popular, it's not even funny." Then a mischievous smile crossed her face. "I know how we can have fun with them. Come on."

Ali followed Iris to the table, and the three girls looked up eagerly as Iris approached. Apparently, Iris was very popular here.

"Hey, girls, this is Courtney, the new recruit," Iris said to them.

The one called Tara smiled. "Hi," she said. "Welcome to the Preserve."

"You wanna sit with us?" Ruby asked them.

"Yeah, we'd love it if you did," Alexis added.

Ali, who had caught on to Iris's game, smirked at the girls. "Gee, we'd love to, girls, but we're really not that desperate," she answered. "See you." Then she strode toward an empty table. Iris waved at the girls and followed Ali.

"That was awesome!" Iris squealed. "You showed them who's boss."

"Of course I did," Ali replied. "Who would even want to sit with those losers anyway? You know what, Iris? I think you and I could do some serious damage here."

"Now you're talking," Iris agreed, giving Ali a high five.

Ali couldn't help but feel happy despite what had happened to her. She felt that, in time, she could rule the halls of the Preserve just as she once ruled the halls of Rosewood Day. Girls would be dying to be her friend, and she choose only those who were worthy like her and Iris. Her sister may have stolen her life, but she felt that maybe she could create a new one here at the Preserve. With Iris by her side, there was no stopping her. After all, she was Ali and she was fabulous.

A/N: And so it begins. Now the ball is really rolling. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I'll try and have it up as soon as I can. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: Power Shift

A/N: So, here's the next chapter. I can't believe how fast this has come out. I want to thank all those who have read and reviewed so far. I'm so glad that you like this story and are encouraging me to continue. This chapter's for you guys. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: See the prologue

"So, why are you here?" Iris asked Ali. She had just confessed to being sent to the Preserve for an eating disorder. Although she was getting better, her parents still thought she would relapse, so they decided to keep her there. But Iris knew she'd never relapse. All she had to do was keep telling herself she was beautiful. It was just an excuse for her parents to be rid of her.

Alison hesitated as she tried to come up with a plausible disorder. She knew Courtney would have been sent here for an identity disorder, but Ali knew that would sound lame. "Uh, mild depression," she said. That sounded way cooler than an identity disorder.

"Ah, I see," Iris mused. "Did you ever cut yourself?"

Ali shook her head in disgust. "No way!" she said. She couldn't imagine doing something like that anyway. Why would anyone want to carve hideous marks into their skin? "But I did attempt suicide twice," she added. "Once I tried to overdose on sleeping pills, and another time I tried to jump off a bridge."

"What stopped you?" Iris asked her.

Ali rolled her eyes. "I got caught both times," she replied. "But I've often had thoughts about killing myself. I mean, my parents act like I don't exist. They're so obsessed with my sister."

"Your sister?" repeated Iris.

"Yeah, my sister, Alison," replied Ali. "She's my twin."

"Cool!" exclaimed Iris. "Did you guys try to fool people about who was who?"

"We did when we were younger, but then I got sick of it," said Ali. "But Ali kept on doing it, even as we got older. She would always tell people she was me even when my parents kept asking her to stop." She remembered how Courtney constantly tried to pretend she was Ali. At first, her parents thought it was cute, but then they began to see that Courtney had an identity disorder and needed help. They thought it had worked at the Radley, but now things had changed. Courtney had once again stolen Ali's life, and this time she was going to do it for a long time, possibly forever.

"Wow!" giggled Iris. "It sounds like she should be the one at the Preserve, not you."

You have no idea how right you are, Ali thought. Out loud she said, "Tell me about it. But my parents think Ali can do no wrong. She's a saint in their eyes. She once told me that she wished I had died so she could have my life. She even tried to drown me in our pool when we were younger. But when I tried to tell my parents about it, Ali said I was lying. They just didn't want to believe that Saint Alison could do any wrong."

"That's awful!" commented Iris. "She sounds like a total bitch."

"She is," agreed Ali. "I think that's the one good thing about me being here. I don't have to put up with her anymore."

Iris nodded. She was an only child, so she didn't have to worry about any sibling rivalry like Ali did. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I'd love to have you for a sister," she said.

Ali laughed then looked at the clock. "We'd better get to GT before someone gets pissed," she said.

Group therapy (GT) and individual therapy were both a big joke at the Preserve. Ali had seen therapists on TV, and most of them tried to grill their patients with questions and get them to talk about their problems. But at the Preserve, that was one thing the therapists didn't do. Instead, they let their patients talk about whatever they wanted and had them avoid talking about anything they didn't want to talk about. Iris said it was a ploy because the longer a patient was kept in there, the more money the hospital received. Ali had been startled and said, "No wonder the patients rarely get out of here." It mad her wonder if she'd ever get out of here either. If that was the case, then she'd never be able to execute her plan to get her life back.

Ali and Iris entered the group therapy room where all of the girls on their floor were gathered. Ali saw Tara and her group sitting together. Tara caught her eye and motioned for Ali to sit with her, but Ali rolled her eyes and chose two seats that were far away from Tara and her group.

Dr. Felicia, the one in charge of group therapy, came into the room, smiling at all of the girls. "Hello, girls, I'm happy to see you're all here for this session," she said.

"Yeah, like we had a choice," Iris muttered only loud enough for Ali to hear. Ali stifled a giggle with her hand.

"Okay, let's talk about how we've been doing since we last met," Dr. Felicia began. "Tara, why don't you start? How have things been going with you?"

"Pretty good," Tara replied. "I talked to my mom, and she said that for my birthday she got me tickets to a Backstreet Boys concert for when I visit back home."

Ali let out a snort. "Are you serious?" she scoffed. "That's the best your mom can do?"

Tara bristled. "They're my favorite band," she said defensively. "You just don't know what good music sounds like."

"Sure I do," Ali replied. "Boy bands are so out. You remind me of this girl back home. She's so obsessed with Justin Timberlake and fantasizes about being with him. Maybe you two should be friends since you have the same taste in lame bands."

"Justin Timberlake sings for 'NSync, dumbass," Tara retorted.

"Oh, shut up, Tara," a girl piped up. "Nobody cares about your love for stupid boy bands anyway."

Ali and Iris gaped at her. The girl had light brown hair and brown eyes. They couldn't believe that she'd burned Tara like that.

"Girls, that's enough," Dr. Felicia scolded. "Tara, you may continue."

Tara deflated. "That's all I wanted to say," she said softly.

"All right, Liana, tell us how you have been doing." Dr. Felicia gave her a stern look.

The girl who had taunted Tara crossed her legs. "Well, Doc, I've been peachy keen," she replied. "I went to a therapy session that was extremely pointless. All I wanted to talk about was my sister and how much I hated her, but I wasn't allowed to. Then I went to visit my family and had to deal with my know-it-all sister, who gloated about her perfect grades at school. Then I came back here and had to deal with my loser of a roommate who constantly pulls out her hair." She glared at Ruby, who immediately started tugging on her hair. "You want to hear about my bowel movements, Doc?"

"No, that's more than enough, the doctor replied. "Does anyone else want to talk about their experiences?" Her eyes rested on Ali. "What about you, Courtney?" I know you're new here, but I want to know what you think about our facility. Are you adjusting well? Have you made any friends?"

Ali smiled and crossed her legs just like Liana had done. "Well, Doctor, I think this place is just the best," she responded. "I mean, it looks so nice and well-cared for. If it weren't for all of the patients dressed in pajamas, you'd never know this was a nuthouse would you? And as for friends, it should be obvious that Iris is my best friend, considering we're seen together a lot. We're two of a kind. Hell, when we get out of here for good, I'm going to invite her to my summer house in the Poconos."

"Well, I'm glad to hear you're doing well," Dr. Felicia said, missing Ali's sarcasm by a mile. "That's all the time we have for today. I'll see you all again next week, okay?"

After she left, some of the girls got out of their seats to mingle together. The girl named Liana came up to Ali and Iris. "Hey, I just want to welcome you to the Preserve," she said. "I'm Liana."

"I'm Courtney and this is Iris," Ali replied. "That was awesome how you burned Tara like that."

"Thanks," Liana responded. "She's such a loser along with Alexis and Ruby. I have to be roommates with Ruby, and it's so annoying. She's just so needy."

"I guess I'm lucky I didn't get stuck with her," Ali said.

"That's an understatement," Iris agreed. "So, Liana, what are you in here for?"

"I'm a klepto," Liana answered. "My parents sent me here because of my stealing habits and my wild behavior. I partied a lot, took drugs, drank alcohol, and had sex. I even got caught having sex at school once."

Ali gasped. "Seriously?" she asked. Her school had never had any scandals like that before. The only real scandal Rosewood Day had was the mysterious "illness" Imogen Smith had developed.

"Yep," Liana said. "I really liked this boy, and he liked me back, so we decided to just do it. We thought that under the bleachers would be a safe place, but we got caught anyway. I was suspended for the rest of the year and had to repeat that grade over. They were going to expel me, but my parents talked them out of it. My parents sent me here because they figured my wild ways were because of a mental problem."

"Wow!" Iris gasped. "You really are badass, Liana."

"Thank you," Liana giggled. "You should've seen my sister's face when she found out I got caught having sex. It was so hilarious. She lectured me and even asked if I had respect for myself. I said, 'Of course I do, bitch. You're just jealous because I got laid first.' Melody and I are twins, but she's two minutes older than me."

"So's my sister, Alison," Ali told them. "She thinks she's so cool and always makes fun of me for being in a nuthouse." She gritted her teeth in anger at the thought of Courtney. Then she told Liana the story of how her sister tried to drown her in their pool when they were little. "I was so scared of her after that," she concluded. "I thought that maybe she'd try to kill me in my sleep next."

"Then why the hell are you here instead of her?" Liana asked her. "You don't sound like someone who should be here."

"I have mild depression," Ali answered. Liana's eyes were filled with sympathy as Ali told her more about her sister and how horrible she was.

"That sucks," she said softly. "Maybe there's a way you can get her committed."

Ali smirked. "I doubt that," she replied. "My parents would never buy it. Ali has them wrapped around her little finger."

"So, Liana, do you want to join us for lunch?" Iris asked her, changing the subject.

Liana gave her a genuine smile. "Sure," she said.

"Great," replied Ali. "I think this is the start of a fabulous friendship." She linked arms with Iris and Liana, and the three of them left the group therapy room. At that moment, Ali felt just like she did when she was with Naomi and Riley: confident and sure of who she was. No one could stop her from getting what she wanted. It was as simple as that.

22222

Courtney sighed impatiently as she waited for Jason to get out of school. He was supposed to drive her home, but he was taking his sweet ass time. As she waited, she reviewed her day. School went along as it normally did with the same boring routine. Courtney sat with Naomi and Riley in the cafeteria, chatting about Riley's birthday party. At one point, Courtney spotted Aria Montgomery staring at their table. She was sitting by herself while everyone else had someone to sit with. Spencer Hastings sat with her field hockey friends, Emily Fields sat with her swimming teammates, and Hanna Marin sat with Scott Chin, the yearbook photographer. Courtney longed to go over and sit with Aria, but she knew it wouldn't be a good idea.

Riley spotted where Courtney was looking and snapped at Aria, "Why don't you take a picture? It last longer." She turned to the other girls and muttered, "God, what a freak."

"Yeah, she's just a dumb stalker, right, Ali?" Naomi asked.

But Courtney kept looking at Aria as though she wanted to say something and hadn't heard Naomi.

Riley waved her hand in front of Courtney's face. "Earth to Ali," she singsonged. ""Why the hell are you still staring at that freak?"

"Oh, I was just noticing how her clothes clash with her hair," Courtney replied.

"Yeah, totally," Riley agreed. "Now, let's get back to talking about my party. I figured we could finalize plans this Saturday and maybe shop for court dresses for you two."

"That sounds awesome," Naomi gushed. "What do you think, Ali?"

"Great," Courtney replied. "I can't wait to shop for some dresses."

Courtney snapped out of her thoughts as Jason came over to her. "It's about damn time!" she scolded. "What took you so long?"

"I had to meet with my chemistry teacher," answered Jason. "I'm not doing well in the class, and I need help, so we arranged for me to have a tutor."

"Oh," replied Courtney. "Well, at least you'll have some help, which is good."

Jason nodded and drove them home. Both siblings didn't really talk much on the way home. When they arrived home, Jason hurried out of the car and up to his room to do his homework. Courtney followed him inside and was intercepted by her mother.

"Oh, Ali, you're home," she said. "Good. I wanted to tell you that I signed you up to work at the Rosewood Day charity drive this Saturday. They said they were looking for student volunteers."

"But, Mom, I'm supposed to go shopping for court dresses with Naomi and Riley!" Courtney protested.

"Well, you'll just have to tell them to postpone it," Mrs. DiLaurentis said.

"I can't believe this," Courtney mumbled as she stomped up the stairs to her room. She flopped on her bed and called Riley. "You're never going to believe what my mom just did," she fumed. "She volunteered me for that stupid charity drive at school this Saturday, so now I can't shop for court dresses with you."

"Bummer," Riley moaned. "Well, maybe you could stay there for a little bit and then sneak out. I'm pretty sure no one will notice if you're missing."

"Riley, you're a genius!" Courtney exclaimed. "Thanks for the save!"

"No problem," Riley answered. "See you on Saturday!"

After Courtney finished talking to Riley, she felt a little better. She'd go to the charity drive for a little while and then she'd get to hang out with her friends. But little did she know that the charity drive would change things for her and for her sister as well. It would be a new beginning for Courtney and for Alison, though Alison wouldn't know it yet.

22222

Saturday rolled around before she knew it, and Courtney was getting ready for the charity drive. Naomi and Riley had promised to pick her up later to go shopping at the King James Mall, but Courtney really wasn't sure she wanted to skip out on the charity drive. Riley and Naomi were beginning to annoy her, especially when they kept making snide comments about Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna. She just couldn't understand why Naomi and Riley hated the four girls, but she knew better than to ask them.

When Courtney arrived at Rosewood Day and said goodbye to her mother, she saw that the main lobby had signs pointing to where the charity drive was taking place. Courtney entered the cafeteria and saw four long tables spread out in the room. On the tables were boxes labeled for clothes, toys, bathroom items, household items, and food. Behind the tables were other boxes labeled differently for different items according to the types of items. Courtney spotted Spencer holding a clipboard and hurried over to her.

"Hey, I'm so glad to see you," she said. "Do you need any help?"

Spencer beamed at her. "Yeah, we need a lot of help," she replied. "Go to table three and start sorting those clothes. Once they're sorted, put them in the boxes behind the table according to gender."

Courtney nodded and hurried over to the table. The pile was enormous, and Courtney was having a bit of trouble sorting through it all. She spotted Aria walking toward her and motioned her over. "Hey, can you help me sort these clothes?" she asked her. "I'm having some trouble."

Aria's face lit up. "Sure," she said and joined Courtney at the table. Soon they were both joined by Emily, Hanna, and Spencer. Courtney was glad she had their help and thought that maybe the charity drive was a good thing after all. She talked to Hanna about fashion, asked Emily about swimming, and laughed at a joke Aria's brother, Mike, had told her. Then she looked over at Spencer's clipboard and commented how neat her handwriting was. "It's neater than mine," she added.

While Courtney was talking to the girls, Naomi and Riley arrived to pick her up. Courtney couldn't believe they'd actually come.

"Hey, Ali, you ready to shop for some awesome court dresses?" Riley asked her.

"Hey, girls, after the drive's over we can all go over to my house and use my hot tub," Spencer offered. "You can come, too, Ali, if you want."

"Ali doesn't want to go and soak in your stupid hot tub," Naomi retorted. "Come on, Ali, you don't have to hang out with these losers anymore. Let's go have some fun."

Courtney couldn't help but be amused. She'd never had anyone fight for her friendship before. Then again, she'd never really had friends before either. Suddenly, she'd had enough of Naomi and Riley telling her what to do. She smirked at them and put her arm around Spencer.

"Sorry, girls, but I've got better things to do," she simpered. "Have fun shopping for your dresses."

Naomi and Riley gaped at her then turned and stormed out of the cafeteria. Emily and the others just stared at her incredulously.

"Wow, I can't believe you ditched them!" Hanna gasped.

"Believe it," Courtney replied. "Come on girls, let's have our own fun." She linked arms with them, and they went to Spencer's house to soak in her hot tub and trade gossip. That day became a day to remember for Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna. It was the day they finally became friends with somebody instead of being on the outside looking in. For Courtney, that day became the day she finally gave her sister a makeover and changed the course of Alison's life as she knew it.

A/N: Wow. I can't believe I reached eleven pages! Did I mention how much I love writing this story? Well, I do. It's so much fun to get inside Courtney's and Ali's heads and interpret what they may have been thinking and feeling. I also loved adding Liana to the mix. I just felt that maybe Ali formed her own posse while at the Preserve and that it just didn't include Iris. So, feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading, and have a shelltastic day.


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